Landslide collapses land mines in eastern Congo, killing 200

A landslide collapsed a major mining area in eastern Congo, killing at least 200 people, according to local rebel authorities. 

The disaster unfolded earlier this week at the Rubaya coltan mine, which is one of the region’s most active mining sites. 

The collapse occurred on Wednesday, when heavy rains triggered the landslide, sending mud and earth crashing into multiple shafts deep underground.

Many of those killed were miners and people living or working near the tunnels, and some remain buried under the rubble. Emergency responders have recovered bodies and pulled survivors from the site, but the full death toll has not been determined. 

Several injured victims have been taken to health centers in Rubaya, and ambulances transfer others to the larger city of Goma, about 50 kilometers away, for more advanced care. 

The Rubaya mines are under the control of the M23 rebel group, which seized the area in 2024 amid prolonged conflict in eastern Congo. 

According to the Associated Press, the rebel-appointed provincial governor has temporarily paused informal mining in the area and ordered the relocation of people living too close to the hazardous tunnels. 

Coltan, the mineral extracted at Rubaya, is a source of tantalum, which is a metal critical for electronics like phones, laptops and aerospace components.